


Journey of a Pluviophile

by 99woodz



Category: Produce 101 (TV), X1 (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Childhood Friends, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - High School, Coming of Age, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Fluff, Hangyul-centric, M/M, Past Relationship(s), Time Skips
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-27
Updated: 2020-09-27
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:20:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26683564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/99woodz/pseuds/99woodz
Summary: Pluviophile (noun) A lover of the rain, in all its shapes and forms.Hangyul finds comfort in the rain throughout different points in his life.
Relationships: Cho Seungyeon | Seungyoun/Lee Hangyul, Han Seungwoo/Lee Hangyul, Kim Wooseok | Wooshin/Lee Hangyul, Kim Yohan/Lee Hangyul
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9
Collections: Challenge #6 — Under the Rain





	Journey of a Pluviophile

There’s something comforting about the rain. 

Hangyul had always found the rain comforting, a feeling he had tried to rub off on Yohan when they were kids. Yohan had always begged to differ. The sound of thunder yelling at him and the bright cracks of lightning had seemed overwhelming to him. The image of a tiny Yohan hiding beneath blankets during even the quietest of storms would always remain endearing to Hangyul. They were 8 by the time Yohan had gotten over that fear. He’d simply stated there was something scarier than any storm could measure up to, before confessing that the butterflies that swarmed his stomach whenever he was around Hangyul were far scarier and kissed the latter on the cheek. Hangyul associated the months after with the feeling of running through damp fields, jumping in puddles after rainfall and returning home with soaked clothes during childhood before being scolded by their mums. Quiet giggles as they tried to get Taro, Yohan’s dog, to eat their homework and afternoons playing video games inside when it was too wet to play soccer. Rain was comforting and reminded him of innocence much more than sunny days with clear skies. If anything, Hangyul associated clear skies with his first heartbreak which happened a couple months after Yohan’s confession, and a week before they’d planned to start high school together. It was on that clear day with absolutely no clouds or signs of rain that Yohan had announced that he’d be moving. He’d left a day later, with the sun burning down Hangyul’s back as he’d watched his best friend drive away.

Wooseok approached Hangyul on his first day of high school as a transfer student. Seated right beside an open window as the sky began to turn grey and rain began to fall in sheets outside. The scent of his freshly washed hoodie being placed on top of Hangyul’s desk - he was taller than Hangyul at the time. “You looked cold,” Hangyul could vividly remember those doe eyes bashfully staring at him before he extended a pale arm out. “I’m Wooseok.” And that was all it took for Hangyul to be completely enamoured. The sweet smell of petrichor in post-rain afternoons provided him with a comfort that only Wooseok could bring. The dew that rested upon blades of grass reminded him of picnics and an innocence that only Wooseok emanated in their late teens. The stolen kisses in the abandoned high school shed as rain padded onto the roof eventually evolved into road trips along foggy mountains and on picturesque roads before college. Light breezes brushing through bed heads and morning breath. First kisses by the bonfire and under the moonlight. Cuddles in camper vans as fingers gently brushed skin while rain fell outside. His relationship with Wooseok was one of firsts and exploration, quiet mischief and hidden glances. They’d ended things mutually just before college started, when Wooseok received a scholarship from a college interstate on a windy autumn day, just as the leaves began to fall. He appreciated his time with Wooseok but just like the leaves that fell and crunched beneath his feet, it was fleeting and fragile.

There’s a different type of comfort that can be found when drinking tea under cafe verandas during light drizzles where rain gently caressed the leaves before falling to the ground. This type of comfort came in the form of meaningful conversations and lingering glances with Seungwoo during college. Hangyul found his time with Seungwoo fell naturally into place even after extended periods of time apart due to their clashing schedules from classes and extra-curriculars. The feeling of warm hugs in the taller man’s embrace provided a sense of security like no other. It was steady and warm much like the oversized sweaters and coats he’d use to shelter Hangyul from the onslaught of rainy days when they both forgot their umbrellas. It was running to the college convenience store for groceries before they closed, and the rain got worse. Late nights drinking wine before flirty touches turned into sensual caresses and sultry dirty talk. However, as the days of winter phased into spring, the pair grew distant. Unanswered phone calls. Conflicting schedules. A sense of longing that neither of them could fill. And while the moments they shared with each other were a sense of calm in the frenzy that was their early twenties, they inevitably broke it off as the cyclamen began to bloom. A case of the right person at the wrong time. 

Seungyoun came into Hangyul’s life on a blind date in his late twenties - one that ended with them both walking to Hangyul’s apartment in the midst of a storm. The pair had hit it off immediately upon meeting, despite Seungyoun leaving Hangyul blue-balled after their first date, and eventually worked their way into a steady routine. The constancy was what cemented the comforting rhythm he developed with Seungyoun. It was the idea of settling by the fire with a warm cup of soup bundled up in blankets during a storm. Knowing that despite the chaos of thunder and the heavy onset of rain, there was warmth and a body to curl up next to during quiet movie nights. It was coming home after work, fully soaked, and being greeted by the aroma of food, knowing he’d be able to find Seungyoun making dinner while humming along to Frank Sinatra. It’s the sound of jazz coming from the baby blue suitcase record player and slow dances in the living room wrapped in wordless embraces. Gentle caresses during sex as the rain raged on outside. It’s the kind of comfort that came easy for Hangyul, the kind that remained constant and steady regardless of the weather that rampaged across the city. A comfort he’d never experienced until Seungyoun came into his life. As he admired the ring resting on his fourth finger, Hangyul knew. This was the type of comfort that would last him a lifetime.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it! :)


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